Traffic lineups heading into the U.S. were long at the Peace Arch border crossing over the Labour Day weekend. (Les Bazso/PNG)

What about those who kept quiet?

I am writing about the article in Tuesday’s paper, “Border complaints recorded.” It says that “.0025 per cent of all travellers complain about the service” with the border guards, and that “this rate will be used in future media calls as it puts the Canada Border Services Agency in a positive light.”

Not so fast! What about the thousands upon thousands who don’t complain, for fear that they will be red flagged with future border crossings if they report bad and rude treatment?

We have a recreational property in Washington State, along with many friends and family members, and consensus with them is the same opinion that we have: there is no need to be rude on either side of the border. The border guards are the first face visitors see and some are first impressions of “Welcome” or “not.”

You cannot solve a problem unless you first define it, and columnist Gordon Clark managed to do precisely that in his dissection of the relative qualifications and capabilities — or lack thereof — of B.C. politicians.

He rightly points out that we are perpetually caught between a rock and a very hard place when it comes to attracting capable, truly qualified people to public office. That we continue to attract and be governed by people who are so clearly unqualified for the positions of power and influence that we place them in is a testament to the fact that the most knowledgeable, experienced and qualified in our midst remain totally uninterested in entering the political arena.

We can define the problem, but in the case of B.C, politics, it is apparent no solution is possible.

Lower the pension payout and double the qualification period and minimally and unqualified candidates would probably not seek office, and given that the most capable and qualified would remain uninterested (for very different reasons), we would be left with no candidates at all.

Rock and a hard place — no solution. Thanks Gordon, I feel much better now!

Ray Arnold, Richmond

Fools not to tax fools

If buying lottery tickets is foolish, then governments are taxing fools. If buying cigarettes and alcohol is foolish, then governments are taxing fools. If buying marijuana is foolish, then criminals are exploiting fools.

Fools will always be fools. If we don’t let the marijuana fools pay taxes for their foolishness, then we are even bigger fools.

Lloyd Atkins, Vernon

Don’t close Robson Street

Buses and pedestrians coexist on Granville Mall. Buses and pedestrians should be able to coexist in the 800-block Robson Street. That was the case back when Robson Square was first built.

The hub of our city is at Georgia and Granville. It is a severe inconvenience for Robson Street bus passengers to be forced to detour down to Pender or walk three blocks from Burrard to Granville because 800-block Robson is closed.

I am a retired Canadian Coast Guard Commander, serving for 35 years at the Kitsilano station. I can tell you, should this station shut down there will be lives lost. The staff has an immediate response time, not a 30 minute call in which the Auxiliary operate on. So it could be up to an hour for someone who has fallen overboard to get help. Full time professionals, working 24/7 as their only job are trained in all aspects of search and rescue.

It appears that the conservative Government is now starting a national auxiliary search and rescue program, starting with the Port of Vancouver, the busiest post in Canada, with over 100,00 various water craft, 1 million cruise ship passengers, 120,00 float plane landings and take offs in the inner harbour, thousands of people transiting the inner harbour on the seabus and at the Horseshoe Bay terminal daily. I wonder if Mr. Saxton would like to see his fire, police and EHS services transferred to a volunteer auxiliary organization and when his house is burning or there is a home invasion, would he want to wait 30 minutes before a mom and pop auxiliary arrive. The Coast Guard cutter Osprey, located at Kitsilano, is the only all weather capable vessel in the area. the coast guard Hovercraft, stationed at Sea Island, has weather restrictions on its capabilities.

Coast Guard Auxiliary are great people, we, in fact train them. The full time Canadian Search and Rescue crews are highly trained in their profession and also have advanced medical training (paramedics), firefighting, oil spill response, port security training with the Vancouver police department and the RCMP.

There is a crucial need for all Search and Rescue services currently in place: the Kitsilano coast guard Station, the Sea Island Coast guard Hovercraft and the Auxiliary. they complement one another and are all vital to the safety and security of the Port of Vancouver.

Fred Moxey, North Vancouver

Everything has risks

In 1957, a natural-gas pipeline was built from Fort St. John to Vancouver. Today, the pipeline would have a tough time getting approval. Instead we would be using wood, coal and oil. Imagine the thousands of domestic oil tanks rusting away, polluting soil and water.

Of course, the suggested pipelines mean profit to their builders. Of course, there are risks.

Cars are risks; sports are risks; airplanes are risks. Where do we draw the line?

Al Kosub, Chilliwack

Natives protest is hypocritical

The natives who protested the proposed expansion of the Kinder Morgan pipeline towed their canoes to the site with diesel-powered vehicles, went home to electricity, gasoline-powered fishing boats, they will fly to their next meeting in airplanes, they use diesel-powered generators, the Internet, gasoline-powered ATVS, they use nylon nets and float balls, hunt with rifles . . . the next diesel shipment to a remote native village should be blockaded.

How do they propose to continue our way of life? Or is that the point?

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